The invention relates to a latch unit for constituting an attaching device for fixing a fixed member and a movable member in cooperation with a striker. The latch unit is used in various equipments including the fixed and movable members and installed in compartments of a car, train, airplane or the like, wherein the latch unit is generally provided at the fixed member and is allowed to engage the striker provided at the movable member so that the movable member is held in a front position with respect to the fixed member.
If there are a fixed member and a movable member, and if it is necessary to attach the movable member to the fixed member at a front position, such as a body portion and a cover of a console box, a body member and a cover member of a glove box installed in a compartment of a car, a rear surface of a seat and a supplementary table rotatably fixed thereto in a train, or a luggage shelf and its cover in an airplane, there has been often used an attaching device including a striker and a latch for receiving the striker therein. The latch includes an elastic member provided with an engaging projection for elastically engaging an engaging portion of the striker as the striker is received therein.
However, in the car or the like, the striker may be unexpectedly disengaged from the latch due to the situation that the moving member is moved by an inertia force or impact force applied thereto by a collision or sudden braking of the car. This unexpected disengagement is desirably prevented. Such a situation can be prevented by increasing an engaging force between the striker and the latch. However, in case such an engaging force is merely increased, there may be disadvantages such that it is difficult to carry out an inserting and engaging operation of the striker with the latch, and an extraction and releasing operation of the striker from the latch.
Of course, in case inertia force or impact force is applied thereto, an emergency lock mechanism for not releasing the engagement of the striker and the latch may be provided separately. However, it is desirable to easily incorporate such a mechanism into the attaching device, so that labor for assembling the car and a weight of the car can be reduced, and the car can be supplied at a lower price.
In view of the above requirements, the present invention has been made, and an object of the invention is to provide a latch unit, wherein there is incorporated a mechanism for preventing the latch and the striker from being disengaged from each other due to the inertia force or impact force applied thereto in case of emergency of a car, without causing any problem in engaging and disengaging operations of the striker and the latch in the normal state.
Another object of the invention is to provide a latch unit as stated above, wherein the engagement release preventing function in case of emergency can be properly provided to an attaching device, which can be made only by attaching the latch unit.
A further object of the invention is to provide a latch unit as stated above, wherein labor for assembling the attaching device can be reduced to thereby supply the car at a lower price.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.